Actuating mechanism for sliding doors of refrigerator cars



Jan. 29, 1952 5, HASEL-HNE 2,583,646

ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR SLIDING DOORS OF REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed March 5, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l Inven i or:

1952 s. B. HASELTINE 2,583,646

ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR SLIDING DOORS OF REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed March 5, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 a o 26 c) /a 4%/%//// ITLVeTI/T: /2 35! 13. ase Ltp'ne.

Jan. 29, 1952 s. HASELTINE 2,583,646 ACTUATI CHANISM FOR SLIDING DOOR F REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed March 5, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FOR SLIDING ATOR CARS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 H Q RR ISM DOORS OF REFRIGER HASELTINE CHAN s. B. ACTUATING ME @XY 7 WW w Jan. 29, 1952 Filed March 5, 1948 Minimum Patented Jan. 29, 1952 ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR SLIDING DOORS OF REFRIGERATOR CARS Stacy B. Haseltine, La Grange, Ill., assignor to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application March 5, 1948, Serial No. 13,113

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in actuating mechanisms for forcing the sliding door of a refrigerator car into and out of the door opening.

One object of the invention is to provide a door construction for refrigerator cars comprising a single sliding door member for closing the door opening of a car, wherein simple and eflicient mechanism, in the form of door supporting crank arms at opposite ends of the top and bottom of the door, simultaneously actuated by a single operating member, is employed for either moving the door into the door opening and forcing the same tightly closed, or prying the same partly open and moving it to fully open position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a door actuating mechanism for a sliding door supported by top and bottom swinging crank arms at opposite ends of the door, comprising reciprocating rods at the top and bottom of the door, extending lengthwise of the same and operatively connected to the crank members, a rotary actuating bar for reciprocating the rods in reverse directions to swing the crank arms outwardly and inwardly to move the door out of and into the door opening, wherein the rods are provided with keeper engaging means engageable with fixed keepers to respectively pry the door open and cam the same tightly shut by movement of the rods in door opening and closing directions.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a broken elevational view of one side wall of a refrigerator car provided with a door opening and a sliding door for closing the opening, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a view, on an enlarged scale, of the structure and mechanism at the upper left hand end portion of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, showing the actuating mechanism and the door supporting crank arm in plan, with the guide track omitted. Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the end member at the left hand end of the upper actuating rod, looking from right to left in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 5-5 of Figure 4. Figure 6 is a View, on an enlarged scale, of the structure and mechanism at the lower right hand end portion of Figure 1. Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 1-! of Figure 6, with the bearing brackets for the operating bar and crank arm omitted. Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7, showing the positions assumed by the parts when the door has been forced partly out of the door opening. Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 9-9 of Figure 6, showing the door moved completely out of the door opening and slid slightly to the right. Figure 10 is a broken, horizontal sectional view, similar to Figure '7, but showing the entire length of the door and illustrating another embodyment of the invention.

In said drawings, [0 indicates the side wall of a railwa car, which side wall is provided with the usual door opening I I, closed by a single door l2. The meeting edges of the door and door opening are beveled, as is common in connection with doors of refrigerator cars, and said beveled edges are provided with the usual packing or insulating material in order to provide a tight seal when the door is closed.

In carrying out my invention as disclosed in Figures 1 to 9 inclusive, I provide top and bottom tracks A-A for guiding the door in its sliding movements. These tracks are fixed to the side wall of the car and are of the usual well known design employed for sliding doors, the upper track being of downwardly opening channel formation, and the bottom track being in the form of a rail. The usual stop members [3 and M are provided at the left hand ends of the top and bottom tracks, as seen in Figure 1.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 9 inclusive, my improvements comprise broadly top and bottom sets of crank'members BB and B B, slidingly supported on the tracks and rotatably journaled on the door, a rotary actuating bar or shaft C. top and bottom actuating rods DD for transmitting motion from the operating bar to the crank members, keeper engaging lugs E-E and EE on the rods DD, slotted keepers FF and FF with which said lugs E-E are engageable, and an operating handle lever G for rotating the bar 0.

The crank members BB and B-B are arranged in sets of two at the top and. bottom of the door, the members of each set being at opposite ends of the door. Each crank member B includes a vertically disposed, short shaft portion l5, provided with a relatively long radial crank arm It at its outer end. The outer end of the crank arm lb of each crank member is provided with a crank pin [1, the crank pin ll of each upper crank member extending into the channel of the upper track A and having a roller l8 journaled thereon which is guided in said channel, and the crank pin ll of each lower crank member being journaled in the usual sliding carrier l9 supported on the lower track.

At the inner end'portion of each crank arm I5, where it joins the shaft I5, is an enlargement, as indicated at 20, to provide a crank disc portion. Projecting from this disc portion is an eccentric crank pin 2| by which the crank member is rotated. Each crank member B is rotatably supported on the door by a bearing bracket 22 having avertical bearing opening within which the shaft portion I of said crank member is journaled,

The top and bottom rods D and D are of similar design, each rod including an elongated bar 23 of substantially rectangularcross section, and.

end castings 24 and 25 secured to opposite ends of the bar. Each end casting is horizontally slotted in lengthwise direction at its inner end to provide a pocket section 23 of channel-shaped cross section, accommodating the corresponding end of the bar 23, the castingbeing secured to the end of the bar by rivets 21-21, or other similar. securing elements, extending through the walls of, said pocket 26 and the bar. As shown in the drawings, the end casting 24 of each rod D is secured to the left hand end thereof and the end casting 25 is secured to its right hand end. Each end casting has an enlarged housinglike head member 22 at its. outer end provided with a guideway or slot 23 and a cam slot 33. The slot 29 of each head member 23 extends lengthwise of' the. corresponding rod D and accommodates the. portion of the shaft E3 of the correspondingfcrank arm 16 therein. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 6, the shaft portions 55-13 of the crank members 13-3 at the crank arm ends thereof, project. beyond the corresponding bearing brackets 22-22 and the portions of the head members 28-28 of the rods D-D, in which theslots 29-29 are formed, engage said projecting shaft portions of the crank members between the crank arms and said brackets, the rods DD being thus supported for horizontal sliding movement. Inasmuch as the slots 29-29 extend lengthwise of the rods D-D and have guiding engagement with the projecting portions of the shafts [5-15, these rods are guided for lengthwise sliding movement parallel to the door I2.

The cam slots 30 of the heads 28 of the end castings 24 and 25 are of the contour shown in Figures 3, 7, 8, and 9, each having a substantially straight front wall 3|, which is inclined away from the door, and a curved back wall 32. The slots 30-313 of the head members 28-28 of the top or upper rod D are disposed interiorly of the upper portions of said heads and have the eccentric crank pins 2l-2l of the upper crank members B-B. engaged therein,' and the slots 33-30 of the head members 28-28 of the bottom or lower rod D are disposed in the lower portions of said heads and havev the eccentric crank pins 2 I-2.l of the lower crank members B-B engaged therein.

The keeper engaging lugs E-E are formed directly on the end castings oi the upper and lower actuating rods D-D, inwardly of the heads 23-28, said lugs projecting from the top and bottom sides, respectively, of each end casting and being in vertical alignment and engageable with the corresponding keepers F-F to pry the door open or force the same closed. as each of the rods D is moved lengthwise in reverse directions. The end castings. 25-25 of theupper and lower rods D-D areof greater length than the end castings 24-24 and are provided with trans- 4 verse slots 33-33 at their inner ends, the slots of said end castings of the upper and lower rods being in vertical alignment in the assembled and applied condition of the mechanism.

The rods D-D are actuated by the operating shaft or bar C, which comprises a substantially flat member having end castings 34-34secured to the top and bottom ends thereof. Each end casting 34 has a shaft section 35, which is journaled in a bearing bracket 36 fixed to the door. At the outer end, each end casting 34 is provided witha crank arm 31 having a crank pin 38 at its outerend, slidingly and rotatably accommodated in the slot 33 of the corresponding rod D.

The operating handle lever G is pivoted to the bar C to swing in a. vertical plane and is adapted to be locked in position by means of a latch member M when the. door is closed. The latch member 4| is of a well known type and therefore needs no further description.

The keepers F-F, with which thekeeper engaging lugs E-E and E-E of the attaching rods D are engageable, are preferably four in number and arranged in sets of two, one set above and the other set below the door opening, the members of each set being at the opposite ends of said opening. Each keeper F- comprises a back plate i38 secured to the car wall and top and bottom, horizontally disposed, outwardly extending, vertically spaced sections 33-39, provided with cam slots 43-43 on their inner sides. The spaced sections 39-39 are adapted to accommodate the corresponding rod D therebetween, as said rod is moved laterally toward the car wall. The cam slots 40-43 arein vertical alignment and inclined outwardly with respect to the vertical plane of the side wall of the car to properly cooperate with the top and bottom keeper engaging lugs E-E of the rods D-D in the operations of camming the door open and shut.

The operation of my improved mechanism, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 9 inclusive, assuming the door is in the closed and locked position shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 6, and '7, is as follows: The attendant unlocks the latching means 4! so as to permit outward swinging movement of the handle lever G and manually swings the lever from left to right through an angle of degrees, thereby rotating the bar C and the crank arms 31-31, thereby moving the rods D-D lengthwise through the operation. of the crank pins 38-38 in the slots 33-33 of the rods DD. Each rod D is. guided for straight line movement parallel to the door 12 by the longitudinal guide slots 29-29 of'said rod and the cooperating portions of the shafts Iii-I5 ofv the crank members B-B. During this movement of'the bars, the door is pried outwardly by camming engagement of the lugs E-E. within the slots of the keepers F-F. Inasmuch as, the crank pins 21,-21 of the disc portions 23-23 of the members B-B are engaged, within the cam slots 3ll-30at opposite ends of the corresponding rod D, these crank members will be rotated in unison by rotation of the operating bar or shaft C, thereby swinging the door outwardly away from the side wall of the car on the crank members B-B at the time that the door is forced out of the door opening by the keeper engaging lugs E-E travelling in the slots of the keepers F-F, and after the keeper engaging lugs leave said slots, as illustitated in Figures 7 and 8, respectively. When the bar C has been rotated through an angle of 180 degrees, the door will have reached the fully opened position, with the crank arms of the crank the car wall. The door is then slid away fromthe door opening to clear the same. Figure 9 shows the door slid slightly to the right. As the I door is slid along the tracks, it will be maintained in spaced relation with respect to the car wall and held against accidental lateral displacement by the crank pins 2l-2| of the crank discs -20 of the crank members BB, which are at that time in the positions shown in Figure 9 at the inner ends of the slots of the rods DD.

In closing the door, the operation is substantially the reverse of that hereinbefore described, the door being first slid in front of the door opening and then being forced into said opening by rotation of the operating bar C in a direction reverse to that hereinbefore described, and bringing the lever G back to the position shown in Figure l. The connecting rods DD are thus also moved in a direction reverse to the direction of movement thereof in opening the door, thereby swinging the crank members BB from the position shown in Figure 9 to that shown in Figure 7 and moving the door into the door opening. During the first part of the inward swinging movement of the crank members BB, the keeper engaging lugs E-E and E-E of the rods D-D are moved into position to enter the slots of the keepers F-F, that is, approximately to the position shown in Figure 8, whereupon during further sliding movement of the rods DD and swinging movement of the crank members B-B, the keeper engaging lugs E-E and E-E of the rods enter the slots of the keepers and cam the door tightly shut by the parts being brought to the positions shown in Figure 1.

Referring next to the embodiment of the invention illustratedin Figure 10, the construction is similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 9 inclusive, with the exception that the slots within which the crank members of the operating bar or shaft engage, and the slots with which the eccentric crank pins of the door supporting crank members cooperate, are of slightly different contour. In Figure 10, the actuating rod, which is indicated by H and corresponds to the rod D hereinbefore described, is provided with a transverse slot 42 of angular shape, within which the crank pin 43 of the operating bar, indicated by K, operates. The end members of the rod H, which are indicated by 44, have lengthwise extending slots 45-45, which guide the rod for lengthwise movement and are similar to the slots 29-29 of the rod D hereinbefore described, and cooperate with the shaft portions 46 of the crank members L in a manner similar to the corresponding parts of the mechanism shown in Figures 1 to 9 inclusive. The end members 44 further have slots 41-41 of the contour shown, which cooperate with the eccentric crank pins 48-48 on the crank discs 49-49 of the crank member L to effect swinging movement of the latter as the rod is reeiprocated. Keeper engaging lugs M-M on the rod H, similar to the lugs E-E hereinbefore described, engage with slotted keepers N-N to force the door open or tightly closed in the same manner as hereinbefore described in connection with Figures 1 to 9 inclusive.

I claim:

1. In a door construction for cars having a wall member provided with a door opening, the combination with a door adapted to close said opening; of guide tracks on said wall member above and below said door opening; carrier means slidably guided on each track; a pair of top and a pair of bottom crank members mounted on the door for rotation about vertical axes; a crank arm on each crank member having a crank pin at the outer end journaled in the corresponding carrier means; an operating shaft on said door rotatable about a vertical axis; a crank arm at each end of said shaft; a crank pin at the outer end of each crank arm; a second crank pin on each crank member, said pin being eccentric to the vertical axis of rotation of said crank member; a connecting rod having slots in camming engagement with said second named crank pins of said crank members; means for guiding said rods for movement in a path parallel to the plane of the door, said rods having transverse guide slots within which the crank pins of said crank arms of the shaft are engaged to impart reciprocating movement to said rods as the shaft is rotated in reverse directions; fixed slotted keepers on said car wall at the top and bottom of the door opening; and keeper engaging lugs at opposite ends of each rod rigid with the latter and engageable within the slots of the corresponding keepers to force said door open and shut as the rods are reeiprocated.

2. In a door construction for cars having a wall member provided with a door opening, the combination with a door adapted to close said opening; of guide tracks on said wall member above and below the door opening; carrier means slidably guided on each track; a pair of top and a pair of bottom crank members on said door, each crank member comprising a shaft portion rotatably journaled on the door for rotation about a vertical axis, a crank pin eccentric to said shaft portion, and an elongated crank arm having a crank pin at its outer end, said last named crank pin being journaled in the corresponding carrier; a rotary operating bar on said door, said bar being rotatable about a vertical axis and having crank arms at its top and bottom ends provided with crank pins at their outer ends; slotted top and bottom pairs of keepers on the car wall at said door opening, the keepers of each pair being at opposite ends of the door opening; top and bottom lengthwise extending rods slidable lengthwise with respect to the door, each rod having a transverse guide slot between its ends within which the crank pin of the crank arm at "the corresponding end of the operating bar has sliding rotary engagement to effect reciprocation of said rod as the bar is rotated in reverse directions, said rods having lengthwise extending guide slots at opposite ends within which the shaft portions of said crank members are slidingly engaged to guide said rods for movement lengthwise of the door, said rods having cam slots at opposite ends within which said eccentric crank pins of said crank members are engaged to efiect rotary movement of said crank members as the rods are reciprocated; and keeper engaging lugs at opposite ends of each rod rigid with the latter and having camming engagement within the slots of the corresponding keepers to force said door outwardly and inwardly as the rod is reeiprocated.

STACY B. HASELTINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,720,726 Geiger July 16, 1929 2,031,039 Haseltine Feb. 1.8, 1936 2,031,040 Haseltine Feb. 1.8, 1938 2,108,224 Haseltine Feb. 15, 1938 

